St. Cronan’s B.N.S.

St. Cronan’s Boys’ National School

CODE OF BEHAVIOUR

This code of behaviour was reviewed by staff at a meeting on 16thJanuary 2020 and was circulated to
parents for their consideration and reaction. It describes the school’s expectations about how each
member of the school community (students, staff and parents/guardians) will help to make the
school a good place for teaching and learning. It also describes how the school will respond to
behaviour that interrupts, diminishes or prevents teaching and learning in the school. The code is
focused on promoting good behaviour and is based on a commitment to the welfare of every
student, including the right to participate in, and benefit from, education.

Aims:
The aims of the Code of Behaviour of St. Cronan’s Boys’ National School are:
 To provide guidance for pupils, teachers and parents on behavioural expectations.
 To provide for the effective and safe operation of the school.
 To develop pupils’ self-esteem and to promote positive behaviour.
 To foster the development of a sense of responsibility and self-discipline in pupils based on
respect, consideration and tolerance of others.
 To facilitate the education and development of every child.
 To build positive relationships of mutual respect and mutual support among students, staff
and parents
 To foster caring attitudes to the environment.
 To enable teachers to teach without disruption
 To help young people to mature into responsible, participating citizens
 To ensure that the school’s high expectations for the behaviour of all the members of the
school community are widely known and understood.

Implementation
Every member of the school community has a role to play in the implementation of the Code of
Behaviour. Rules will be kept to a minimum, will emphasise positive behaviour and will be applied in
a fair and consistent manner, with due regard to the age of the pupils and to individual difference.
Good behaviour will be encouraged and rewarded. Where it is deemed necessary to involve parents,
they will be contacted as soon as possible.
This code will remain in effect for all school-related activities; both in and out of school (e.g. school
tours, matches, travelling to and from venues etc.).
In addition, the code applies to the implementation of other school policies, particularly those
dealing with child protection, bullying, harassment and sexual harassment and any and every policy
where the cooperation of pupils is required.

General Guidelines for Positive Behaviour

Children are expected to show:
1. Respect for self and others
2. Kindness and willingness to help others
3. Courtesy and good manners
4. Fairness
5. Readiness to use respectful ways of resolving difficulties and conflict
6. Forgiveness

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By:
 Attending school regularly and punctually;
 Doing one’s best in class;
 Taking responsibility for one’s work;
 Keeping the class and school rules;
 Helping to create a safe, positive environment;
 Respecting staff;
 Respecting other students and their learning;
 Participating in school activities;
 Respecting the school environment and others property.

Affirming Positive Behaviour

Positive reinforcement of good behaviour leads to better self-discipline and we place a greater
emphasis on rewards and incentives than on sanctions.

Strategies/Incentives
Positive everyday interactions between teachers, SNAs and students eg:

 A quiet word or gesture to show approval;

 Circle Time;
 Positive comment on a child’s exercise book;
 A visit to another class or principal for commendation;
 Praise in front of class group/ learning support group;
 Individual class merit awards, points awards or award stamps eg. Student of the Week,
Golden Time, Marble jar, Raffle ticket, etc.;
 Special mention at Assembly;
 Delegating some special responsibility or privilege;
 Written or verbal communication with parent eg. Good behaviour certificate;
 Students will be involved in the preparation of classroom rules;
 Modelling the expected behaviours is the responsibility of the whole school community.

Responding to inappropriate behaviour

The purpose of sanctions and other strategies is to promote positive and discourage inappropriate
behaviour. A consistent approach to the implementation of sanctions will be applied according to
the gravity of the misbehaviour, with due regard to age and emotional development. These may
include:
 Reasoning with pupil;
 Verbal reprimand including advice on how to improve;
 Withdrawal from peers within class and/or temporary removal to another class;
 Prescribing extra work during break/lunchtime;
 Children may be asked to write an account of the incident;
 Children may be asked to write a letter of apology;
 Withdrawal of privileges;
 Shadow teacher on yard duty;
 Time out on yard (5 – 10 minutes);
 Communication with parents;

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 Behaviour management plan for pupils with particular needs;

 Revision of principles of the Stay Safe programme;
 Referral to the principal;
 Principal communicating with parents;
 Detention after school;
 In-School Suspension;
 Exclusion (Suspension or Expulsion) from school (in accordance with Rule 130 of the Rules
for National Schools as amended by circular and Education Welfare Act 2000).

In applying these sanctions, staff will be mindful at all times of their duty of care to the pupils.

All relevant information will be noted when recording instances of inappropriate behaviour.
Pupils will not be deprived of engagement in a curricular area, except on the grounds of health and
safety.

A problem solving approach will be used to address instances of unwanted behaviour using the
following steps:

1. Gather information;
2. Generate ideas about possible solutions;
3. Decide and agree specific strategies;
4. Implement the agreed strategy consistently;
5. Review progress and evaluate the impact;
6. Keep the relationship with the student as positive as possible;
7. There are agreed methods of describing behaviour;
8. There are agreed methods of recording behaviour;
9. A ladder of intervention will operate, including levels of intervention that provide:
 Support for all students,
 Additional support for some students,
 Specialised support for a small number of students.

Bullying

Bullying is repeated verbal, psychological or physical aggression by an individual or group against

others. The most common forms of bullying are aggressive physical contact, name-calling,
intimidation, extortion, isolation and taunting. Cyberbullying through the medium of social network
sites, texting and other forms of digital media is another type of bullying behaviour which is known
to have had a very serious effect on victims. Bullying in any form will not be tolerated and parents
will be expected to cooperate with the school at all times in dealing with instances of bullying in
accordance with the school’s Anti-Bullying Policy, Anti-Cyberbullying policy, The Child Protection
Procedures for Primary and Post Primary Schools 2017 and Children First National Guidelines 2017.

Suspension/Expulsion
Before serious sanctions such as detention, in-school suspension, suspension or expulsion are used,
the normal channels of communication between school and parents will be employed.

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 Having taken account of all the relevant information available to the school, the principles of
fair procedures will apply, taking account of the seriousness of the alleged misbehavior and
having regard for what is reasonable in the context of the incident/s.

 For gross misbehaviour or repeated instances of serious misbehaviour, suspension may be

considered.

 Prior to suspension, where possible, the principal may review the case in consultation with
teachers and other members of the school community involved, with due regard to records
of previous misbehaviours, their pattern and context, sanctions and other interventions
used, and their outcomes and any relevant medical information.

 The implementation of a sanction of suspension will be carried out in accordance with the
National Education Welfare Board’s (NEWB) Developing a Code of Behaviour: Guidelines for
Schools (Chap. 11, ps. 70 – 78).

 Suspension will be in accordance with the Rules for National Schools and the Education
Welfare Act 2000.

 Parents concerned will be invited to come to the school to discuss their child’s case.

 Aggressive, threatening or violent behaviour towards a teacher or pupil will be regarded as

serious or gross misbehaviour.

 Where there are repeated instances of serious misbehaviour, the chairperson of the Board
of Management will be informed and the parents will be requested in writing to attend at
the school to meet the chairperson and the principal.

 If the parents do not give an undertaking that the pupil will behave in an acceptable manner
in the future the pupil may be suspended for a period.

 In the case of gross misbehaviour, where it is necessary to secure the safety of the pupils
and to ensure that order and discipline are maintained, the Board may authorise the
chairperson or principal to sanction an immediate suspension. This will be a period not
exceeding three school days, pending a discussion of the matter with the parents.

 Expulsion may be considered in an extreme case, in accordance with the Rule for National
Schools and the Education Welfare Act 2000. Before suspending or expelling a pupil, the
Board shall notify the Local Welfare Education Officer in writing in accordance with Section
24 of the Education Welfare Act.
 The implementation of a sanction of expulsion will be carried out in accordance with the
National Education Welfare Board’s (NEWB) Developing a Code of Behaviour: Guidelines for
Schools (Chap.12, ps. 80 – 87)

Removal of Suspension (Reinstatement)

Following or during a period of suspension, the parent/s or guardians may apply to have the pupil

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reinstated to the school. The parent/s must give a satisfactory undertaking that a suspended pupil
will behave in accordance with the school’s Code of Behaviour and the principal must be satisfied
that the pupil’s reinstatement will not constitute a risk to the pupil’s own safety or that of the other
pupils or staff. The principal will facilitate the preparation of a behaviour plan for the pupil if
required and will re-admit the pupil formally to the class.

School Rules
School rules are kept to a minimum and are devised with regard for the health, safety and welfare of
all members of the school community. School rules and regulations are clearly stated and enforced
consistently and fairly.
Rules will account for the health and safety of the whole school community and will have regard to
what is reasonable within the context of our particular school.
Where a student is alleged to have engaged in a serious inappropriate behaviour outside school,
when not under the care or the responsibility of the school, a judgement would have to be made
that there is a clear connection with the school and a demonstrable impact on its work before the
code of behaviour applies. The school authorities may need to get legal advice in this instance.

Before/After School
Boys are supervised in the school yard from 8.25 am until the start of class at 8.40 am. Parents are
reminded that the staff of the school does not accept responsibility for pupils before 8.25 a.m. or
after the official closing time of 2.20 p.m., except where pupils are engaged in an extra-curricular
activity organised by the school and approved by the Board of Management. Pupils involved in such
activities are expected to behave in accordance with school’s Code of Behaviour policy during these
times.

Board of Management’s Responsibilities

 Provide a comfortable, safe environment
 Support the principal and staff in implementing the code
 Ratify the code

Principal’s Responsibilities
 Promote a positive climate in the school
 Ensure that the Code of Behaviour is implemented in a fair and consistent manner
 Arrange for review of the Code, as required
 Liaise with the teachers regarding the code
 Circulate the code within the school community

Teachers’ Responsibilities
 Support and implement the school’s code of behaviour
 Create a safe working environment for each pupil
 Recognise and affirm good work
 Prepare school work and correct work done by pupils
 Recognise and provide for individual talents and differences among pupils
 Be courteous, consistent and fair
 Keep opportunities for inappropriate behaviour to a minimum
 Deal appropriately with inappropriate behaviour
 Keep a record of instances of inappropriate behaviour

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 Provide support for colleagues and report relevant behavior to relevant members of staff
 Communicate with parents when necessary and provide reports on matters of mutual
concern

Pupils’ Responsibilities
 Attend school regularly and punctually.
 Listen to their teachers and act on instructions/advice.
 Show respect for all members of the school community.
 Respect all school property and the property of other pupils.
 Avoid behaving in any way which would endanger others or self.
 Avoid all nasty remarks, swearing and name-calling.
 Include other pupils in games and activities.
 Bring correct materials/books to school.
 Follow school and class rules.

Parents’/Guardians’ Responsibilities
 Encourage children to have a sense of respect for themselves, others and property.
 Ensure that children attend regularly and punctually.
 Be interested in, support and encourage their children’s school work.
 Be familiar with the code of behaviour and support its implementation.
 Co-operate with teachers in instances where their child’s behaviour is causing difficulties for
others.
 Liaise with teachers and principal regarding behaviour management and engage in planning
an effective course of action for the child, when deemed necessary.
 Communicate with the school in relation to any problems which may affect child’s
progress/behaviour
 Model/show respect for teachers and the school community

Communication

A copy of this policy will be distributed to all parents and in accordance with Section 23 (4) of the
Education Welfare Act 2000, parents will be asked to sign their acceptance of this policy. This will
also be required on enrolment of all new pupils.
The children will be made aware of this code of behaviour and teachers will adopt the ethos of this
policy and implement it through both curricular and incidental learning experiences.

Special Needs

Staff will ensure that account is taken of the individual educational needs and learning differences of
students, while explaining this code of behaviour.

Ratification and Review

Originally ratified by the Board of Management on 24th April 2013 and reviewed on 24th February
2020. It will be reviewed again in February 2022.